Poulter says he wants the Ryder Cup spot but skips the final qualifying tournament to go play in the states!

Poulter will skip Ryder decider

Poulter insists he has a 'burning desire' to play for Europe in the Ryder Cup Ian Poulter will have to rely on a captain's pick to make Europe's Ryder Cup team after pulling out of this week's Johnnie Walker Championship.

It is the final event counting towards selection and Poulter is outside the automatic selection spots.

"I have called (captain) Nick Faldo and told him of my decision and hope that my performance so far will earn one of his two wildcard picks," said Poulter.

He will instead play in America in a bid to reach the final play-off events.

Poulter will head to Boston hoping to finish high enough at the Deutsche Bank Championship to secure entry to the final two FedEx Cup play-off events, the BMW Championship and The Tour Championship. We know that Nick will do the right thing and I will be playing as hard as I can this week

Ryder Cup hopeful Ian Poulter

"It has been an extremely difficult decision to take given my burning desire to represent Europe again in defending the Ryder Cup in the United States," he said.

"But the fact that Boston this week is my only opportunity to qualify for the final two play-off events, as well as being my final opportunity to play my 15 events on the US PGA Tour, conflicts with my ambition to play Gleneagles and earn my spot in the Team.

"The captain's picks are a nightmare, and not a position I would have wanted, where I need one, but we do know that Nick will do the right thing and I will be playing as hard as I can this week to add to my year and hopefully earn one."

Poulter is up against the likes of Colin Montgomerie, Darren Clarke and Paul Casey in the contest to be one of Faldo's two wildcard picks.

Poulter should not receive a wild card, he is making no attempt to qualify. In fairness to Justin Rose he has changed his whole schedule to ensure he makes the Ryder Cup. Darren Clarke won well in Holland last weekend & is playing in Gleneagles this weekend, another win would ensure his place, however he is showing good form & I think should get a wild card, not least because of his partnership with Lee Westwood.

That would leave Faldo with a choice of Casey. Poulter or Monty. Monty's form is cr@p & he really can't be picked. Which leaves Casey or Poulter neither of whom can score world points this week as the US tournament does not end till Monday. Neither have made the haul back to Europe to attempt to qualify (which begs the question do they know something we don't), but based purely on current form Casey seems to be the other pick. But Faldo may have a surprise up his sleeve?

Poulter had a 25-footer in the Barclays. Faldo, commentating for US TV, goes "If he sinks this he's in the Ryder Cup team". Poulter knocks in the centre of the cup. "Eeehh, I still haven't made my mind up completely" mutters Faldo. Classic.

Word is Darren will lose out to Poulter. I know who I'd have on my Ryder Cup team. Monty won't get in. Likely to be Casey.

Karlsson has a neck injury and might not make it. Dunno the rules, but Faldo could either go to the next in the points list or pick an extra wild card. Presume it'll have to be next in the list, which are Rose on the World list and McDowell on the European one. Rose then.

Monty's form hasn't been great for years, but he becomes a different player at the Ryder Cup and is a real team leader.

However I think Faldo will keep it English and take Casey and Poulter even though neither has been great this year.

My big worry for the team this year is Faldo's leadership. Personality-wise I could see him pissing off more players than he inspires.

Dunno, Donny. I think Faldo has mellowed a lot. He's a born winner and he's gonna hate being beaten by the Yanks. I think it'll be Poulter and Casey too. I'd have Clarke in there but maybe Faldo thinks it's too little too late from Darren.

So if you're not picking on form then go with experience. Casey has two appearances and played well, but Monty has eight appearances and has generally been the main man, undefeated in single' matches.

Team matchplay is completely different from individual strokeplay and Monty clearly responds to it.

How can a guy that is regularly getting spanked during the season show up and command a leadership position? I just can't see it and I don't see Faldo and Monty being a very good blend. Monty's shot - a great Ryder cup player, but the respect of his peers that he hung onto by his fingertips because of his playing record (despite moving the ball on the green to shorten his putt, unsporting conduct, several strops, general unpleasantness and cringeworthy domestic situation) is gone.

So if you're not picking on form then go with experience. Casey has two appearances and played well, but Monty has eight appearances and has generally been the main man, undefeated in single' matches.

Team matchplay is completely different from individual strokeplay and Monty clearly responds to it.

How can a guy that is regularly getting spanked during the season show up and command a leadership position? I just can't see it and I don't see Faldo and Monty being a very good blend. Monty's shot - a great Ryder cup player, but the respect of his peers that he hung onto by his fingertips because of his playing record (despite moving the ball on the green to shorten his putt, unsporting conduct, several strops, general unpleasantness and cringeworthy domestic situation) is gone.

So if you're not picking on form then go with experience. Casey has two appearances and played well, but Monty has eight appearances and has generally been the main man, undefeated in single' matches.

Team matchplay is completely different from individual strokeplay and Monty clearly responds to it.

How can a guy that is regularly getting spanked during the season show up and command a leadership position? I just can't see it and I don't see Faldo and Monty being a very good blend. Monty's shot - a great Ryder cup player, but the respect of his peers that he hung onto by his fingertips because of his playing record (despite moving the ball on the green to shorten his putt, unsporting conduct, several strops, general unpleasantness and cringeworthy domestic situation) is gone.

Well he did it in 2004, was playing lousy and had to rely on a wildcard and yet he was the European player of the tournament. I genuinely think the players would be happier with him in the team whatever they think of him as a person.

You may be right about a Monty-Faldo combination. The likes of Torrance, Langer and Woosie were happy for Monty to be the on-course leader but this may impinge on Faldo's ego. I still think Faldo could be the weakest link of this team.

So if you're not picking on form then go with experience. Casey has two appearances and played well, but Monty has eight appearances and has generally been the main man, undefeated in single' matches.

Team matchplay is completely different from individual strokeplay and Monty clearly responds to it.

How can a guy that is regularly getting spanked during the season show up and command a leadership position? I just can't see it and I don't see Faldo and Monty being a very good blend. Monty's shot - a great Ryder cup player, but the respect of his peers that he hung onto by his fingertips because of his playing record (despite moving the ball on the green to shorten his putt, unsporting conduct, several strops, general unpleasantness and cringeworthy domestic situation) is gone.

27/08/2008 - 13:07:15Ian Poulter’s decision to rely on a Ryder Cup wild card rather than play at Gleneagles this week does not appear to have gone down well with other players.

Darren Clarke, waiting to hear if he might be one of Nick Faldo’s picks after his win in Holland on Sunday, said today: “Most of us would have liked to see him trying to qualify.”

Poulter could have made the top 10 in the points table by coming fifth in the Johnnie Walker Championship, but is instead playing in Boston.

“He has stated his desire to make the team, so he obviously thinks it’s better for him to be over there,” added Clarke.

Colin Montgomerie, who believes his only chance of a wild card now is a return to form in Scotland, commented: “Every player who plays his way into the team makes the team stronger.

“He seems to have been on a hotline to Nick for a while, but it would have been nice for him to have played here.

“I can’t really speak for anybody playing or not playing – he has his own schedule.”

Poulter said in a statement on Monday that this week was his final chance to complete the 15 events required for membership of the US Tour.

“You might have thought he would have known that before he entered or pulled out of here,” added Montgomerie.

In any case, the US Tour extends to the start of November and if Poulter had flown back to Europe this week he would have six further chances to play his 15th event, the last two of them in Florida, where he has a base.

What coming to Scotland would have meant, though, is that the Open runner-up could not have qualified for the third leg of the FedEx Cup play-offs.

But with Clarke, Montgomerie, Paul Casey and Paul McGinley all needing one of Faldo’s two wild cards as well and with one week left to run would Faldo really have guaranteed Poulter a pick just to help his US Tour career?

Casey has also stayed in America, but the difference between him and Poulter this week is that he could not have made the team on points.

jezzer wrote:Poulter had a 25-footer in the Barclays. Faldo, commentating for US TV, goes "If he sinks this he's in the Ryder Cup team". Poulter knocks in the centre of the cup. "Eeehh, I still haven't made my mind up completely" mutters Faldo. Classic.

Word is Darren will lose out to Poulter. I know who I'd have on my Ryder Cup team. Monty won't get in. Likely to be Casey.

Faldo made that comment about Casey, not Poulter.

"its a sunday, if you want to go to church, go there and worship Brian O'Driscoll". - Stuart Barnes 22/1/06